Did you know that on a daily basis, we generate around 402.74 millionterabytes of data? With estimates suggesting that over 181 zettabytes of data will be generated by the end of this year, the need for dynamic data centres is beyond critical. Today’s data centres are not the monolithic, server-filled rooms of the past. These are cutting-edge, dynamic ecosystems that cater to the ever-evolving needs of the Internet and demand a new breed of specialists for seamless operations.
Increasing demand
Thanks to the flourishing market and the increasing adoption of emerging technologies such as Big Data, IoT, AI and more, and sophisticated e-commerce and quick commerce initiatives, India is transforming into a data centre powerhouse both as a provider and a consumer. Reports indicate that, by 2030, data centre stock will reach 3,400 MW across prominent cities. With new centres being established across tier-II and tier-III cities, what is simultaneously increasing is the demand for data centre specialists.
India’s Data Protection Act 2023, the current push for Data Centre Parks, and the rise of sovereign cloud infrastructure for BFSI and government services will see a 20% CAGR by 2030. The key drivers are:
- Secure, real-time cloud storage for digital banking and fintech from the BFSI industry
- Increasing online transactions from the E-commerce and retail industry
- Expanding edge data centres to support low-latency applications in the telecom and 5G industry
- Rise of telemedicine, AI-driven diagnostics, and genomic data analysis in the healthcare industry
Emerging roles
As an amalgamation of diverse emerging technologies — IT, engineering, sustainability, and compliance expertise — data centres offer roles that are not just new but also niche.
Cloud and Network Infrastructure Engineers: Design, deploy, and maintain scalable cloud-based solutions to ensure applications and systems function seamlessly on the cloud.
Cybersecurity and Compliance Specialists: Ensure a proactive approach in detecting network anomalies, vulnerabilities and loopholes and mitigating breaches.
Edge Computing Architects: Ensure faster data processing, reduced latency and seamless functioning of real-time applications and systems.
AI/ML and Automation Engineers: Harness the power of AI-driven automation systems for resource optimisation, security enhancements, predictive maintenance and more.
Sustainability Experts: Formulate effective strategies to minimise carbon footprints, water consumption to cool servers, renewable energy sources, and more.
Skills required
- Cloud and virtualisation technologies: Expertise in cloud platforms such as Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP ), serverless computing, containerisation, Kubernetes and more
- Hardware and network infrastructure: Proficiency in SD-WAN, firewalls, and intrusion detection
- Data Analytics: Proficiency in analytics and visualisation models
- Cybersecurity, data governance and compliance: Ensuring regulatory adherence (e.g., GDPR, India’s DPA, PCI-DSS, and ISO 27001)
- AI and automation: With specialised skills in scripting on PowerShell, Python, and hands-on experience on automation tools like Terraform or Ansible; ML and RPA for predictive maintenance and efficiency.
Professional skills required include communication, problem-solving, creativity, critical thinking, project management, adaptability, continuous learning, and more.
Training programmes
As a nascent industry, standardisation in terms of a proper academic route to gain exposure and expertise in data centre technologies is yet to be achieved. Since the skills required are highly specialised and multi-disciplinary, industry-focused training programmes are required to offer hands-on training in cloud computing, AI/ML, cybersecurity, or automation technologies.
Now would be the perfect time to work on developing capabilities in data centre technologies as the future is promising.
The writer is the CEO of UNext Learning.
Published - June 15, 2025 12:30 pm IST
